Staying Healthy While Traveling…It’s Possible!

I haven’t been feeling too well lately, so I’ve decided to shelve the more intense exercise. It’s been mostly light strength work and yoga for me. Luckily, I feel like I’m on the mend.

Unfortunately I was traveling yesterday…..Yay! I mean who doesn’t enjoy cramped spaces with strangers?

Free Wi-Fi + Healthy Pre-packed Healthy Snacks - Not feeling well - 4.5 hour travel times = I guess it all balances out but I really really really dislike long distance traveling

While my appetite has been a bit funky, it came back in full force the night before traveling. I find that, when I’m sick, my appetite returning is usually a sign that I’m getting better. I snacked on half an avocado and some nuts (yay MUFAs) before actually sitting down to eat this:

Egg whites, part-skim mozzarella cheese and romaine lettuce on a La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Wrap, topped with honey dijon mustard and, of course, some siracha. Because I didn’t feel like dirtying up a skillet, I used the microwave. It was my first time I’d ever cooked egg whites in a microwave. I simply mixed about half a cup of egg whites, a few dashes of 2% milk, threw some mozzarella cheese in, dash of salt and pepper and gave it about two minutes in the microwave, though this depends on your microwave, so just keep an eye on it. I will definitely cook my eggs this way the next time I’m in a time crunch!

To prepare for my travel, I packed this beauty for lunch:

That’s a salad with hardboiled eggs and an avocado on a bed of romaine and spinach. More eggs! I’ve been eating a ton of eggs lately. If you’ve been following, this has been a typical eat of mine recently…..I want to switch things up and hopefully throw in some other vegetarian-friendly proteins into my rotation. I was on a tofu kick about two months ago, so we’ll see where I go next.

This morning, I cooked up some pancakes for me and my guests, made incredibly easy thanks to Kodiak Cakes. I actually brought this box with me on my travels so I could make something yumcious. Light and fluffy and delicious.

Topped with some organic jams.

All together now:

I needed protein so ate an egg on the side. Hardboiled, so not exciting and no photo.

How do you maintain your healthy eating or workout regimen while on the road or as a guest in someone’s house? It’s difficult but the easiest thing to do is prepare, plan, stick to your plan, but remember that sometimes it’s okay to stray and indulge a bit! Here is my diet and exercise travel philosophy, to hopefully fend off some of the inevitable unhealthy foods and lack of exercise that is coming my way:

PLAN & PREPARE:

– Pack healthy snacks for your trip. I usually have trail mix or throw some Kind bars in my bag before going. I also packed that delicious, healthy salad to take with me on the road! You can do anything that can keep relatively well — nut butters, celery & carrots, whole wheat grain crackers, hard-boiled eggs, protein bites (<;– these chocolate ones from Julie are awesome!!), or even transport some meals in tupperware (cold pizza is always a great option, or a cold veggie pasta).

– Research dining out options beforehand. I do this all the time. I love looking at restaurant menus in general, so I go on yelp or just google my location and look for the best restaurants, then peruse their menus. If you have the upper hand and the ability to choose the dining option, great! Go ahead and choose that local/vegan/socially responsible on-farm butchered meat restaurant, as long as your entire dining group is game.

However, if you’re trying to accommodate a larger group, remember, you don’t have to eat at an organic, local, sustainable, vegan, etc etc etc place. Just look at the menu beforehand and make sure there are some healthy eats on those menus. If I’m traveling to meet friends/family, I don’t want to be an imposition and suggest a place to eat that is overly restrictive diet-wise. That might be my jam but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some of my friends actually still eat red meat!!! Imagine that. (Jokes aside, only one close friend of mine is vegetarian.) So, just look at the menu at your restauarant of choice beforehand, find something that works for you, so both you and your company can be happy. Given the new trends, eating healthy at fast food chains is possible but beware of the lurking dangers, most of their “healthy” options are just junk foods in disguise!

– Cook your own meals. If you are staying somewhere you have access to a functioning kitchen, also look for grocery stores nearby where you can stock up on produce and cook/assemble your own foods.

– DON’T FEEL LIKE ANYTHING GOES. Part of living a healthy lifestyle while traveling is maintaining your general (hopefully positive) outlook on food and exercise. A lot of people immediately have the mentality that traveling is carte blanche to do whatever (or nothing, in terms of exercise) they want or to eat whatever they want. Successfully eating right and working out while traveling is achievable if you make it a non-negotiable part of your routine. Set yourself fitness goals while traveling. It might be less than your typical routine (and probably should be) but even small goals will help motivate you. Maybe you want to do a couple of short 20 minute yoga sessions or go for one or two half-hour runs. Or maybe you want to only have one or two “big night out” meals. It’s possible. You don’t need a fancy gym or incredibly strong willpower. You just need to prepare yourself, set your fitness goals (don’t overreach!) and stick to them.

– BUT SOMETIMES, RELAX AND LET GO. Okay, I know you just heard me say, stick to your routine and goals! That should be your mindset. BUT if you find yourself at the end of the night and all your friends are headed to a bar/buffet/whatever or if you are mulling over whether or not to get that yumcious chocolate dessert after a big dinner with friends, do yourself a favor and say YES!!! Moderation and balance, folks. As long as you maintain that healthy lifestyle and mindset for the most part, you will be completely fine.

HAPPY WEEKEND! I’m getting in some free wi-fi time now (thanks to the monolith that is Starbucks), but am gearing up for more great eats with some friends. I’m super-excited. I probably won’t be blogging frequently for the next few days but stay tuned!!!

Very good blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused .. Any recommendations? Thanks a lot!|

About Me

A fitness enthusiast with a propensity for indulgences. Balancing a healthy vegetarian-friendly lifestyle amidst the many temptations in NYC is not easy but I try anyway! I'm a novice runner training for my first race in the Spring of 2013. Follow me as I run, dine and learn to love the world around me.